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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26193532">Dutch Courage</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewesterndoor/pseuds/thewesterndoor'>thewesterndoor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, COVID-19, Fluff and Humor, Gay Disaster Eren Yeager, Love in the time of COVID, M/M, Mentions of Alcohol Abuse, Protective Mikasa Ackerman, armin arlert is a good wingman, no illness just life in lockdown</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:27:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,031</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26193532</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewesterndoor/pseuds/thewesterndoor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After Eren falls for the hot new guy working at the beer store, he has to find a way to see more of him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Levi/Eren Yeager</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>106</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dutch Courage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic was written for my beta reader nekoshka and loosely based on her experiences of getting told off by her beer vendor crush 😂 (purely because she just didn't see the bottle) This was written just after sanitizer started to become mandatory where we are but before masks became more widespread.  There are some notes at the end that clarify some of the tags and with info about content that some people might find sensitive.</p>
<p>And this fic somehow became weirdly Canadian in specific ways.  For anyone who's wondering about a beer vendor, it's the only place outside a provincial liquor commission store or licensed bars/restaurants that can sell beer (and other similar drinks).  A two-four is a case of 24 beers.</p>
<p>Thanks to nekoshka for continuing her beta reading magic for this</p>
<p>Thank you for reading and commenting ❤️</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Hey, shit heel!  Come back here!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren froze halfway past the cooler filled with cheap domestic ciders and hard iced tea.  Turning around, blinking against the overly bright fluorescent lights, he looked for the source of the angry voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve got to sanitize your hands before you come in here,” the store employee said from his post by the doorway of the beer vendor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The guy rolled his eyes and pointed towards the plastic dispenser that had been set up just inside the doorway with a laminated sign asking all patrons to sanitize their hands first before going into the store.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, shit, sorry man,” Eren said as he hurried back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he neared the dispenser, he was able to get a better look at the employee.  On his way in, Eren had barely noticed him, just flashed his ID and dropped off his bag before trying to make a beeline for the beer—he had thirty minutes until Armin and Mikasa were supposed to get home and he still had to stop by the Pizza Hut to grab their order—but now he wondered how he’d been able to miss him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The guy was short—Eren probably had a good foot on him—but he had the sort of muscular build that his cheap uniform shirt and polyester pants couldn’t disguise.  With the dark slash of his eyebrows arranged in a look that hovered somewhere between contempt and disgust and his mouth drawn in a thin line, he gave off an intimidating aura.  A little bit mean.  Exactly Eren’s type if truth be told.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rubbing alcohol stung Eren’s nostrils as he spread the sanitizer over his hands, but his attention was focussed on the employee.  The guy was still far enough away to maintain necessary physical distancing, but he was close enough that Eren could read his name tag.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Levi.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For some reason it seemed to fit him and the fastidiously neat look of his clothes.  Eren was pretty sure Levi was the sort of person who never skipped sanitizing his groceries when he got them home because he was feeling too lazy, or who forgot to wash his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you new here?” Eren asked, his voice faltering a little as he realized how painfully stupid he sounded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Levi’s eyes narrowed on him, and Eren wondered if he was about to get yelled at again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Floch’s sick and on mandatory two week self-quarantine, so I got moved over here.”  His words were clipped as he spoke, but now that Eren’s hands were sanitized he seemed a little friendlier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were working at another location?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Obviously.  Look, are you here to buy stuff or what?  There’s people still waiting outside.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren ’s head jerked in the direction that Levi pointed and he saw the line of people outside the beer vendor through the cloudy glass window.  Guilt tightened his stomach and he smiled apologetically at Levi.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit, sorry.  Yeah, of course.  My roommates—well, my roommate and my sister, who is also a roommate—and I are supposed to play games or something tonight and we need beer.  You can’t do game night without beer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Games?”  The interest in that one word seemed like only the briefest flash of a spark, but Eren still felt a little thrill.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.  We’ve been working through all of our three-player board games while we’re stuck at home.  Last weekend was Betrayal at House on the Hill—though it’s brutal to play with just three of us.  This weekend we’re going with Smallworld.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Levi’s eyes went a little wide at Eren’s onslaught.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, I don’t care what you’re here for.  Just that you don’t hold up the line.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren nod was jerky and he could feel the awkwardness like a prickly film across his skin.  He smiled again, trying to keep his chin up and back straight—he didn’t want to give into the urge to crumple.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Eren said, and he finally started to walk away from Levi and towards the far cooler.  He opened up the door to a blast of frosty air and reached for the two-four of Keith’s.  But with a covert glance over his shoulder to where Levi was now glaring through the window at someone in the line outside, Eren instead hauled out the twelve pack of the Pale Ale.  It would be enough to get him and the others through the evening, and if it meant that he had to come back again before next week’s games then what was the harm?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren carried the box over to the counter where he quickly paid and then paused by the door to grab his backpack.  Levi looked over, his eyes dropping down to the beer by Eren’s feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You finally got your stuff?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah,” Eren said as he shrugged on the straps of his backpack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Every instinct was telling him that he should find a way to keep talking to Levi.  It wasn’t even the way Levi’s face looked as if it had been carved by a delicate hand to create some beautiful masterpiece, or that under the thick fabric of his pants Eren could see an ass that deserved to be worshipped, but rather there was something about Levi that hinted at hidden depths.  His face mostly held that look of bored disapproval, but Eren couldn’t help but think there was something going on beneath.  It made him want to find out what Levi was actually thinking, to see what it would take for him to smile.  He couldn’t even imagine what it would look like.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have a nice night,” Levi said, in a flat way that suggested that he said it to every patron who was on their way out.  In a way that made it clear Eren was being dismissed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You too,” Eren said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Enjoy your games.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And just like that, Eren felt a sliver of hope buoyed up by Levi’s words until his chest felt like it was filled with a small ball of sunshine.  </span>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> had to be a sign, though of what exactly, Eren wasn’t sure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Eren said before adding, “I’ll maybe see you around.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then with a quick wave, he walked out into the swelling darkness of early evening.  As he ran across the parking lot towards the Pizza Hut, Eren was already starting to count out how long it would be reasonable to wait until he could go back to the beer vendor again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren was a little heartbroken when he walked into the beer vendor on Wednesday evening and, instead of looking down to see Levi’s dark eyes glaring up at him, he was met with a tiny blonde.  Her expression was nicer than Levi’s but she was no less eagle-eyed as she took a glance at his photo ID and then watched him stow his backpack and sanitize his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, slow night?” Eren asked, hovering near the entryway as he tried to figure out a way to ask her about Levi.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman, whose name tag read Petra, shrugged, her eyes sweeping around the empty store.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, Wednesday’s are usually kind of like this.  There’ll be a rush between six and eight, but after that…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, so you the regular person here on Wednesdays?”  Eren tried to keep his voice casual.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Petra’s eyes narrowed and her back straightened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Most of them,” she said, her voice cautious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took Eren a moment to realize why some of the friendliness had faded from her demeanour.  He took a step back, raising his hands in front of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, that…that totally sounded like I was some sort of creeper.  I just…there was a guy who was working here last Saturday and I was…I’d kind of been hoping to see him again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> a creeper, but just creeping on someone else?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes sparkled a little as she spoke and Eren couldn’t help but give an answering smile, albeit a slightly sheepish one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.  Seems so.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re interested in Floch, huh?  Wouldn’t have expected it, but who knows what people are into?” Petra said, giving Eren a once over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren felt his cheeks and neck grow warm at her inspection.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, no.  It was someone else.  Levi?  He said that…Floch?…was sick and he was covering here for a while?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Petra laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, that makes a little more sense.  Floch is…well, he has a great personality.  Levi, on the other hand does not.  Attractive, but he can be a real son-of-a-bitch.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, uh…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pushing her reddish hair behind her ear, Petra gave him a sympathetic look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you actually come to buy beer?  Or did you come just to see Levi?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren’s face grew hot and he was pretty sure that his panic was written across his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a roll of her eyes, Petra shook her head and laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it.  I won’t say anything—well, so long as I don’t hear about some sort of creepy stalker situation going on, I won’t say anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I need to get…” Eren turned his gaze to the nearest cooler.  “WKD.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Petra actually laughed at him then.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, wow.  I hope that’s just some gay panic shit and you actually have better taste.  Because if you do actually like to drink shit that sweet and that </span>
  <em>
    <span>blue</span>
  </em>
  <span>, well, you’re never going to have a chance with Levi.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren’s heart lurched at the small window of possibility in her words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But…I might have a chance with him otherwise?” He hardly dared breathe as he waited for her response.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Petra tapped her fingers against the leg of her polyester pants, her teeth pressing into her lip, as she thought through her response.  Eren was practically vibrating with anticipation by the time she finally nodded slowly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, maybe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren fussed with the hem of his shirt before shooting her another glance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And…and if I wanted to impress him with what I was getting?” he said as casually as possible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who fucking knows?  The man is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>tea</span>
  </em>
  <span> drinker,” Petra said like that somehow explained it all.  Apparently seeing some sign of incomprehension on Eren’s face, Petra sighed and added, “Buy something that’s local and craft.  He’ll probably still have something sassy to say—that little bitch is about a hundred percent sass—but he’ll probably respect you more.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Eren said.  He started to head in the direction that would lead him around through the store and then out, getting as far as the second cooler that was mostly just filled with canned versions of various cocktails.  Then, he decided why not try to press his luck.  “What day should I try?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Petra heaved a sigh and raised one eyebrow at him.  Embarrassment flooded out through Eren’s body until his limbs crackled and buzzed with it, but he didn’t look away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If he’s covering Floch’s shifts try Thursday and Saturday evenings.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks.  Again,” Eren said with another smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it.  I’m doing this more for my own amusement than anything.”  Petra’s smile had a lot of teeth to it and there was a wicked glint to her eyes.  “It’ll be fun to see what Levi does about you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren wasn’t exactly sure if that was meant to be encouraging or not, so instead he just reached into the cooler and grabbed a few cans of the Captain Morgan and Coke and hurried off to pay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Outside, while Eren crouched down over his backpack to put the drinks into it, Armin gave him a confused look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eren?  You really needed us to come all the way here for that?  We have actual rum and Coke at our place.  And you only ever drink beer—which we still have.”  Armin’s blond hair fluttered around his face as he shook his head and gave Eren a concerned look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Eren didn’t care that Armin clearly thought he was being an idiot.  He may not have been able to see Levi, but the information that he’d got was probably more valuable than just being able to catch a glimpse.  Now, it was just a matter of figuring out an excuse to come back the next day without Armin and Mikasa starting to think that Eren had a problem.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By Thursday evening Eren was in luck.  Armin had hidden away in his room to work on a problem set for one of his graduate classes and Mikasa had been called into work for an emergency.  Which meant that there was no one around to ask Eren why he wanted to make a third trip to the beer vendor in less than a week.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren grabbed his keys and slipped on his shoes, keeping an eye on Armin’s closed door.  He could hear the sounds of Rachmaninoff filtering out, letting him know that Armin would be in there for a while.  There was a good chance that Eren could go and come back without Armin even knowing he’d left the apartment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carefully he eased the front door open and slipped out into the hallway, closing it just as quietly behind him.  Then, it was all he could do not to race out of the building and down to the street.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Outside dusk had started to settle, painting the cars and buildings with deep blues and purples, but the air was still warm and Eren could smell traces of the thick scent of tree blossoms mixing with the choke of exhaust.  It was one of the few prime spring days that they would get before summer settled in hot and sticky, and Eren actually found himself enjoying the chance to be outside with a little time to himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the vendor, there was a short line out front of people waiting to get in.  Eren went to the back and pulled out his phone, opening up Twitter for a distraction until it was time to go in.  But instead of sinking into the endless oblivion of scrolling through his feed, Eren’s thoughts kept cycling around to Levi, nervous anticipation building at what might happen once Eren was inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sure, Petra had given him some hope, but Eren wasn’t sure what that meant for his chances.  And for all he knew she’d already told Levi to keep an eye out for a stalker.  And it’s not like he and Levi’d had any particularly deep connection the last time—if he regularly worked Saturdays, there was a good chance he was constantly having to tell people to come back and sanitize their hands, so there was a decent chance that he wouldn’t even remember Eren.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Panic churned to a fine froth in Eren’s stomach as he slowly moved closer and closer to the door.  Every other thought that flickered through his brain was the realization that he should probably just walk out of line and go home.  There was enough booze around the apartment that they could all make do until Levi returned to Garden City and the old employee returned, and then Eren could just periodically reminisce about the hot store employee who’d yelled at him.  Instead of having the memory of Levi tainted with whatever painful rejection might be waiting, Eren could instead have the beautiful soft-edged dream of </span>
  <em>
    <span>what if</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But, somehow, he stayed put until it was his turn to walk in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time, Levi was perched on a stool when Eren pushed open the door and stepped into the overly bright store.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You,” Levi said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi,” Eren said, feeling a near numbing swell of relief that Levi remembered him at all.  Though maybe he was like this with everyone?  He fumbled for his wallet and pulled out his driver’s license, holding it up for Levi’s inspection.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Levi’s gaze paused on it for a moment before darting up to Eren’s face and then back down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eren, huh?  So how did your game night go, Eren?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The beer vendor could have caught fire around them and burned to the ground and Eren wouldn’t have noticed.  His whole being was intent on hearing the way Levi said his name.  And the fact that Levi definitely remembered him.  Well enough that he remembered Eren’s panicked babbling from the time before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, it was pretty good.  Not as good as when my sister’s boyfriend was still able to come over and join though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds…wholesome.  You one of those family togetherness and shit type families?” Levi asked as he gestured towards the sanitizer station.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren shrugged off his backpack and set it down in the bag area before walking over, hoping that his face didn’t betray the racing of his heart and the sheer speed that his thoughts were tearing through his brain as he tried to figure out what to say next—something that could keep the conversation going.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.  Well, I mean, my sister and I share a place with our friend, so maybe?  Sort of?  We don’t have much to do with my parents.  I just like game night better when Jean is there because he has the worst fucking luck at board games.  It’s like dice know what a dickbag he is and always give him the worst possible roll.  If he’s playing then we always know who will lose.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Levi smirked, and that one expression was enough for Eren’s stomach to clench and his palms to get sweaty.  It was unholy how fucking hot the guy was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re telling me you lost,” Levi said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.  Both of them crushed me.  Any game requiring some amount of strategy and Armin always wins by a landslide.  Press your luck and Mikasa tears us both apart.  But I had a brief run when I was seafaring trolls where it seemed like I might have had a chance!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Levi shook his head but there was a small smile twitching at his lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe lighten up on the booze when you play and you’ll have a better chance next time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren very nearly started to protest, saying that he’d barely finished one beer over the course of the evening before he caught himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, probably a good idea.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you should go get whatever you’re here for,” Levi said, jerking his chin towards the path towards the coolers at the back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren took a quick breath and decided to be bold.  Or at least a little bold.  Cautiously bold.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually, I wanted to try out some new stuff—more local stuff.  Do you have any recommendations?”  He bit his lip, watching Levi’s face nervously, as he waited for a response.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What makes you think I like local? Or that I like beer?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren’s heart dropped to the soles of his feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you just seemed like someone who might have some cool tastes…or something…like…working here you’ve probably heard about cool stuff.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren wanted to disappear.  He wanted to be anywhere but standing in fluorescent lighting having this gorgeous man stare at him like he was a specimen of insect that had crawled out from a tank.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just work the door here, I don’t exactly have anything to do with the inventory.  If you want a recommendation, talk to the clerks.” Levi pointed over towards where the front counter was visible and they could see the night cashier scrolling through something on his phone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, of course,” Eren said with a brittle laugh.  He ducked his chin down and started to hurry around the displays and coolers towards somewhere where he could just grab something—anything—and then pay and leave.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oi, hold up,” Levi said, sliding down from his stool.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He peered out through the window at where the line had ended with Eren, clearly checking that there wasn’t anyone still waiting to come in, and then walked towards Eren.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon, brat.  Normally I don’t drink beer—most of it tastes like piss water—but if I am, this is pretty decent.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He led Eren around the corner to the small setup on the opposite side of the store where a cooler was filled with king cans emblazoned with a range of whimsical names.  He pointed one pale finger at a couple of the cans.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren picked up one of each one that Levi pointed to until his arms were filled, cold seeping through the thin cotton of his shirt to his chest and his forearms going a little numb.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great!” Eren said, as he juggled the cans in his arms over to the counter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Levi returned to his stool and shrugged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just don’t blame me if you don’t like them,” Levi said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I think they all sound really good,” Eren said, internally wincing at how chipper his voice sounded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cashier looked up from where he was scanning the cans and visibly cringed.  It was not one of Eren’s proudest moments.  But, he somehow made it out of the beer vendor without any further embarrassment and was able to start the walk home.  Already he was trying to figure out how much beer he could sample by Saturday so that when he went back—because of course he would go back—he’d have something more to talk about.  Halfway home, he put a reminder into his phone to look up how to talk about beer without sounding like an ignorant asshole.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Over the next couple weeks, Eren fell into something approaching a routine.  Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evening, he would turn up to the beer vendor while Levi was working.  Depending on how busy the store was, they would have exchanges that ranged from a handful of quick words while Eren sanitized his hands to actual proper conversations.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After the first couple of times, Eren even managed to relax enough that he was able to enjoy their conversations.  He learned that despite working at a beer vendor, Levi had little interest in most beer, but if he was going to drink beer he favoured locally brewed ambers and reds.  Really though, it seemed like Levi actually liked gin—because of the aromatic quality, he claimed.  After Levi had told him that, Eren had gone home and fished out the bottle of gin from the back of the liquor cabinet—a remnant from when Armin was going through his Tom Collins phase—and poured out a shot to sniff, just to see if he could figure out what Levi meant.  He still thought it smelled a little like herbs and Pine Sol, but he’d decided to keep that to himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With each trip, Eren came away with new details about Levi that he stored like precious gems.  There was how fastidious Levi was—not just with how his uniform was always crisp and pressed, or how his fingernails were always trimmed and immaculate, but in the way that he worked.  Eren had once watched Levi walk over to the stretch of carpet near the window with masking tape wrapped around his index and middle fingers to pick up some confetti that had fallen from a previous patron.  It was unexpectedly endearing, especially when combined with how foul mouthed and blunt he could be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If Eren hadn’t been half in love already, seeing how Levi always kept a paperback hidden on the shelf just inside the door for days where things were slow or how he always remembered whatever Eren had mentioned on previous visits was enough to drag him down until there was no hope.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re telling me the three of you still haven’t been able to win a game of Forbidden Desert?  On easy?”  Levi’s eyebrows had both gone up and his mouth was open in disbelief.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren raised one hand to rub at the back of his neck, looking away before his gaze darted back to Levi.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You said you’ve played it, you should know it’s hard!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> hard.  Are you even bothering to play cooperatively?  I thought you said your friend was some sort of strategy genius,” Levi said with a roll of his eyes, folding his arms across his chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He is!  But, we just always have terrible luck.  We get buried in sand and then lose too much water, or just get too many Storm Rising cards in a row.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or your friend isn’t that much of a genius and you just need to play with better people.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren’s breath caught in his chest and his mouth started to open to follow through on the invitation that all but begged to be made in response to Levi’s words.  But he cut himself off and just smiled, shrugging a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe.  In any case, I don’t think Armin’s going to let us move onto a new game until we’ve won that one,” he said, feeling like a coward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Levi snorted before motion outside the window caught his eye.  He craned his neck to look at the person who’d lined up just outside the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, brat.  Go get your fucking beer and then go lose your board games.  There’s someone waiting.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren nodded and hurried over to what had become a familiar spot in the store.  He quickly scanned the shelves for any cans of the local brews that looked new.  There was a sour beer which he grabbed and then he added a couple cans of the stuff he’d tried before—for someone who didn’t like beer that much, Levi did have some good recommendations.  It didn’t take long before Eren was saying a brief goodbye after he’d paid as he put the cans into his backpack, and then he was on his way back home.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he walked, he thought about his conversation with Levi.  There really had been the perfect opportunity to ask him out there, or at least test the waters with a casual invitation for game night, but Eren wasn’t quite ready to risk making things awkward and losing the fragile connection that they had.  Next time though.  He would definitely go all in and ask Levi out next time.  Social distancing was even starting to ease up enough in their area that a date wouldn’t feel like tempting fate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he got home, still buoyant from getting to see Levi, it took Eren a moment to realize that both Armin and Mikasa were sitting on the couch waiting for him.  Eren tossed his keys onto the table beside the door and set his backpack down with a heavy thunk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, guys, what are you up to?  I thought board games weren’t starting until nine?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren kicked off his shoes and walked over to the kitchen area of the apartment to wash his hands, all the while feeling both sets of eyes locked on him like a heavy weight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eren,” Armin said, his voice giving a weight to the one word.  “Where were you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where was I?”  Eren laughed nervously as he looked between the two of them, trying to figure out what was going on.  Was there something he’d forgot to do?  His eyes darted towards the whiteboard stuck to their fridge with the list of communal chores, but all of his for the week had been checked off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mikasa’s whole face was tense and her hands were clenched and resting on her lap.  She looked like she wanted to rise up and…well, shake him.  But that was a pretty common occurrence.  Only, Eren normally knew the reason, and it’s not like he’d been antagonizing her boyfriend lately or anything…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We need you to tell us where you were,” Mikasa said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?  What’s going on?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From the living room, just behind Armin and Mikasa, Eren heard the sound of a tinny voice and noticed Mikasa’s computer set-up with FaceTime running.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where were you, Eren?” Jean asked from the screen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren took a half step back from them all wondering what the fuck he’d even walked in on.  It’s not like he didn’t want to tell them, he just…didn’t want to tell them.  The thing with Levi felt like it was probably ninety percent something that only existed in his head and if he tried to explain it to them it would just become apparent how much he was deluding himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s happening?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With solemn eyes, Armin made uncomfortably direct eye contact with Eren.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We want you to know that this is because we care about you.  That we’re worried.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Beside him Mikasa was nodding, and on the screen Eren was pretty sure he caught Jean rolling his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No really, what is this?” Eren said.  He wondered if it was possible for him to just turn around and go back out until normalcy returned to the apartment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eren, did you go back to the beer vendor?” Armin said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How many times has it been this week?” Mikasa said, her eyes starting to look a little wet but her posture no less tense.  “How many times over the last few weeks?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was hoping you wouldn’t notice,” Eren muttered, needing a break from the amount of eye contact they were both trying to make and the way that Armin kept saying his name.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mikasa gave a little gasp, and from the computer speakers it sounded like Jean had yelled out “J’accuse!”.  Mikasa glared at the camera.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry!” Jean said, “I’ve been bingeing Miss Marple over here and I forgot this was actually an intervention.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mikasa’s face went livid.  She glared at her boyfriend and then she slammed the screen closed.  It would’ve been amazing if Eren hadn’t been caught on what Jean had said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“An </span>
  <em>
    <span>intervention</span>
  </em>
  <span>?  For real?  Because I—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you’ve been buying so much alcohol.  Because you’ve been secretive.  You sneak out to go buy stuff, and then…” Mikasa paused for a moment, her jaw working, before she continued.  “I was putting some laundry in your room and I found your stash.  Why do you have so much beer hidden in your room?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not like I’m drinking it all!” Eren protested.  “I just…” His mind reeled as he tried to figure out what was even happening.  It’s not like he’d actually intended to hide it, he just knew that if he put it into their beer fridge there would be questions and…yeah, he’d been trying to hide it.  But he’d completely forgotten about the laundry.  After Eren had shrunk and ruined enough of everyone’s clothes, it had been decided that only Armin or Mikasa could be trusted with that chore.  It was usually pretty great to have folded laundry just appear on his bed, except—apparently—when he had at least a hundred dollars worth of beer that he couldn’t explain tucked away beside his desk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What does that mean?” Mikasa said.  “We just want to understand.  Is this your way of coping?  Like you need to stockpile beer for…” She shrugged and looked at Armin helplessly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t want to hassle you or anything—and we’re not trying to shame you if drinking is what’s getting you through.  We just want to make sure that you’re okay, and that you’re not binge drinking alone in your room.  You can talk to us.”  Armin looked so earnest as he spoke that Eren couldn’t help but feel guilty.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren took a deep breath, straightened his spine, and then on a heavy exhale he started to speak in a quick rush.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s a hot employee at the beer vendor.  I’ve been going on the days that he works so that I can have chances to talk to him.  And I can’t exactly just show up and not buy anything.”  Eren’s face burned by the time the torrent of words was out and he took an unsteady breath, feeling almost light-headed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s it?” Mikasa’s eyes were wide for a moment and then she sank back against the ratty couch, the tension draining from her body.  “Thank fuck.  I thought…I thought you weren’t coping well and we were going to have to get Mom and Dad involved, but it’s just gay panic.  We can handle gay panic.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not gay panic!” Eren said, finally walking over to join her on the far end of the couch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From his perch on the armchair, Armin shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eren, how much have you actually spent on beer over the last few weeks?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren refused to make eye contact with Armin, instead looking down at the fraying edges of the saggy couch cushions and picking at a loose thread.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not that much,” he grumbled.  “And, I was very nearly able to ask him out today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very nearly? So you mean you still haven’t.”  Armin’s voice might’ve been soft and light but his words still cut through all of Eren’s bullshit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just…” Eren sighed and leaned back into the couch, burying his face into the cushions.  He felt his sister’s hand pat his knee gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Eren.  You can take your time.  What do you even know about this guy?  No point in rushing,” Mikasa said, her tone consoling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know that he’s hot.  And funny.  And he has good taste in beer and bad taste in books.  And he likes to play board games, and he’s perfect.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a thump as Armin tossed the box for Forbidden Desert onto the coffee table and then soft clicking as he started to lay out the tiles and pieces.  Eren snuck a glance at his friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are we just…are we just going to play games tonight like…like nothing happened?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Armin looked up from shuffling the storm deck, his blue eyes direct as they focussed on Eren.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course?  It’s Saturday game night, and we still need to beat this fucking game.  We’ve already determined that you’re not going through some sort of big crisis, you’re just a disaster.  Which we already knew.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, just tell it to me like it is,” Eren said feigning a wince, even as he scooted over on the couch to pick up the game tiles to do a quick shuffle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll be fine,” Armin said, and then his smile turned a little vicious.  “If only because next time that guy is working, I’m marching you down there and I won’t let you leave until you ask him out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you going to throw up?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Armin’s voice, just behind Eren as he stared at the entrance to the beer vendor, was not unkind, but it didn’t help the churning in Eren’s stomach.  It had started the night before when he’d realized today was the day he had to finally ask Levi out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After the disastrous—albeit well meant—intervention, Eren had hoped everything would be forgotten.  It could just slowly ebb from their collective consciousnesses, like how none of them could ever remember which day was actually trash day or to cancel the trial subscription for Prime before it kicked into a paid subscription.  Armin was generally busy enough with his MSc that Eren had been sure that the plan for Tuesday would disappear under the clutter of problem sets and literature reviews now that the immediate concern for Eren’s mental health and liver function was gone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Monday night as Eren had rewatched Ultimate Beastmaster, Armin had paused on his way to the kitchen to give Eren a meaningful look and let him know that he wasn’t getting out of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And so, Eren found himself standing outside in the glow of the neon Open sign, staring in at where Levi was glaring at a customer who’d skipped the sanitizer.  Eren wasn’t sure if the nerves he felt were closer to the excitement of Christmas Eve or the terror of sitting down in front of an exam.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think I can do this,” Eren said, the words tight in his throat.  He desperately looked up and down the street as if he could find some escape.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Armin’s small hand landed on Eren’s shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Armin said, his voice soothing, “you’ll be fine.  You said that you’ve felt a connection with the guy?  He’s got to be feeling it too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But what if it was all just in my head?  Like maybe he was just being nice to me because that’s his job?” Eren whispered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You mean the guy who currently seems to be yelling at a customer inside right now?  Somehow I don’t get that customer service is high on his list of priorities.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren swallowed, his throat feeling thick.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But…I just, he’s…him and I’m…me.  Why would he even say yes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt as much as heard Armin’s heavy sigh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You mean why would he want someone tall and athletic with killer green eyes who makes a really fucking excellent friend?  You’re right, of course he’d be stupid to want to go out with you.  It’s not like you’re ever charming or funny.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren’s face practically steamed with embarrassment at the praise, but he still felt a curl of warmth and affection for Armin.  There was a reason they’d been best friends as long as they had, and only part of that was because Armin was one of the few people who not only tolerated Eren’s occasional lapses in judgement but would also help him fix the fallout—no questions asked and with only limited judgement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With another squeeze of Eren’s shoulder before he let go, Armin added, “Look, if you really don’t want to do this I’m not actually going to force you.  You just can’t keep going on like you have been.  For one, you can’t afford to keep buying beer at the rate you’ve been going.  And two, you deserve to know where you stand.  The longer you spin your wheels on this, the further down you’re going to sink.  So either you go in and get it all out there—put your intentions out on the table—or we turn around, go home and we find a new beer store for a while.  Or maybe just drink our way through your stockpile.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The second alternative was unbelievably tempting, but Eren had a niggling worry that if he didn’t do this, it would be one of those things he’d regret.  And not just regret like skipping dessert when they ordered delivery and being wracked with jealousy watching Armin shovelling ice cream and cake into his face, but the sort of lingering regret Eren still had for not telling his parents he wanted to go to Art School instead of sliding into a BSc with the aim of the pre-med stream.  It was a regret of frustration at the four years he’d spent working on a program he didn’t care about, towards a goal he didn’t want; of wondering what his life would’ve been like if he’d had the courage to even just try to have that conversation with his dad.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, I’m going for it,” Eren said, trying to push determination into his words.  He still felt a little sick, but he was resolved to do this.  And at least if it went terribly, he had lots of beer at home to drown his sorrows.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite it being a Saturday night, the store was oddly quiet and Eren didn’t have to wait outside at all.  Instead, he was able to go straight to the door and walk inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Levi’s head turned from where he’d been keeping an eye on the person paying up at the front to look at Eren.  An eyebrow lifted and the harsh line of his mouth softened into an almost smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did your game night go?  Did you all lose to a board game again?” Levi said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, no, we actually won!  It was a bit touch and go—I nearly died of thirst—but we finally managed to find all the pieces.  I think it gave Armin enough confidence that he’s started talking about us trying out Pandemic, though Mikasa said that was way too on the nose for us to be playing in times like, well, these.”  Eren couldn’t stop himself from fussing with his hair—tucking it behind his ears, shoving his fingers through the front to push it back off his face—and he wished that he’d had the sense to pull it back into a ponytail before he’d got there.  He didn’t need to be broadcasting exactly how nervous he was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> He fumbled around in the pocket of his shorts to find a hair tie, then reached up to scrape his hair back into a stubby ponytail.  He wasn’t sure, but he thought that he saw Levi’s gaze dance over where his arms were lifted, bare in his tank top, and then drift over his hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” Levi asked, sounding almost annoyed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Putting my hair up?” Eren said, wondering what he’d done wrong.  “It gets kind of hot.”  He plucked at the front of his teal tank top as if that somehow explained it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too bad.  You look good with it down.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren’s heart stopped.  And when it restarted, it was with a jolt that shook his whole body.  His whole focus narrowed to Levi’s pale face and the inscrutable look across his sharp features.  If Eren was at a bar or club he’d know exactly what that meant, but with Levi, it only felt like one perfect iridescent soap bubble of hope.  Beautiful and in danger of popping at any moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Somehow Eren’s brain shut down and a panic response took over.  He heard himself make some sort of vague response of acknowledgement, maybe even laugh, and then he started walking towards the familiar cooler on the other side of the store.  As he moved, he kept wondering what the fuck he was doing.  This was his chance, right?  The moment where he could follow up with a smooth comment about how he liked Levi’s hair best on the days where he clearly hadn’t had the time to slick it back fully and the longer strands fell over the shaved sides in a way that begged to be touched.  But instead, Eren just went, grabbed a couple of cans of beer at random from the cooler, paid, waved goodbye to Levi, and left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Outside Armin was waiting for him, arms folded across his chest.  His gaze moved from Eren’s face down to where he still awkwardly cradled the cold cans.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t ask him, did you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wanted to.  But…somehow, it just didn’t come out?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Armin rolled his eyes and then grabbed hold of Eren’s arm and dragged him back over to the entrance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So go back in there and just do it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But it would be weird.  Right?  I was just there, and then going in again.  And…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren’s brain was still freaking out over the fact that Levi. Liked. His. Hair.  Levi had thought enough about him to have an opinion on how he wore it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No more weird than him seeing us out here like this.  He’s been watching us since you walked out.  He has, in fact, been watching </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> since the moment you bolted away from him.  What even was up with that?  Did he do something?  Because if he’s another one of those shitty types who’s just going to hurt you, I will destroy him.  He’s not another Annie, is he?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren shook his head, his eyes darting over to where Levi was clearly watching him and Armin.  He could only imagine what it all looked like.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Eren said absently, “he actually complimented me and I...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Panicked?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Muttering a number of curses about Eren’s ex-girlfriend, Armin grabbed Eren by the arm and dragged him towards the door.  Before Eren even realized what Armin was planning, the door was already open and the two of them were halfway in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re back,” Levi said, his gaze sweeping over to Armin and looking frostier than Eren had ever seen it.  “You forget something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Armin straightened his back, his chin jutting out in a move that should’ve just looked like a cat trying to puff out to look bigger but instead was surprisingly effective at giving him a commanding presence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you feel about Eren?” Armin demanded, his tone brisk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Levi slid off his stool, bracing his legs apart and crossing his arms over his chest, his jaw set in a stern line.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who the fuck are you and why do you want to know?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no heat in Levi’s words but there was steel that ran through them to the core; Armin didn’t so much as back down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m the person who has to put up with him when he’s a moping mess.  Now, do you like him?  Yes or no?  Because this idiot, brave as he is about most things, is apparently too timid to ask you out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Levi’s eyes widened and he let out a startled laugh, his gaze zeroing in on Eren.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought I’d made my interests pretty clear, but you never seemed to bite so I thought you might actually be coming for the beer and not to see me,” Levi said.  “In case it wasn’t obvious, I don’t normally talk to anyone else who comes in here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, he’s just chickenshit with anything involving normal human emotions,” Armin said.  He turned his attention on to Eren. “Now, can I leave you to get this sorted out?  Come back with a date planned or not at all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren nodded, his gaze still locked on Levi and words caught in his throat, but that seemed good enough for Armin.  He pried the cans out of Eren’s arms and carried them out, leaving Eren and Levi alone.  Even the cashier had vanished into the back somewhere.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You started to actually have me worried that you might have a drinking problem,” Levi said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?  I mean, I thought I was so obvious…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Levi dragged a hand through his hair and for the first time Eren wondered if </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> might be nervous as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I mean, I’d dropped openings for you enough times that you either had to be an idiot or not interested.  And what was that not five minutes ago?  How more clear can I get that I like you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you could actually say you like me.  I mean, if you do,” Eren said, not sure where this cheeky boldness was coming from.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Levi snorted and stared him down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s save that for sometime when I’m not wearing an entire outfit that would melt if I went near an open flame, and we haven’t had your…who even was that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Armin,” Eren said simply.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Figures.  He seems like the sort of shit who’d make people play through a game until he figured out how to win.  He normally your Idiot to English interpreter?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren smiled, teeth pressing into his lower lip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Only sometimes.  Like when I’m kind of overwhelmed with how much I like someone that I melt down.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren was rewarded with the briefest flash of an honest-to-god smile.  Levi’s face lit up and his grey eyes flashed with amusement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And apparently you can be smooth, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m even better on an actual date.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I’ll need to see it to believe it,” Levi said, reaching into his pants pocket to pull out his phone.  “What’s your number, brat?  When I’m not on shift we can figure something out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren rattled off his phone number in a daze, watching as Levi typed it into his own phone.  A second later, Eren heard the buzz of an incoming text.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t think anything’s going to happen—it’s going to have to be some sort of plague date where we keep our distance—but…” Levi trailed off, for the first time ever looking a little flustered.  There was even the faint pink of a blush on his cheeks before he pulled himself back in line to his no-nonsense persona.  “Text me later tonight and we’ll make a plan.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The grin spreading across Eren’s face was broad enough that his face ached with it, but he couldn’t help it.  He nodded and was just about to walk out the door when Levi called out to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And, Eren?  On our date, leave your hair down.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This fic, and some of the concerns in it, is kind of weirdly personal in a lot of ways and a reflection of the jokes/concerns/experiences of me and my friend group(a lot of us have wrestled with boredom and stress drinking).  I tried to write the intervention scene in a sensitive way and one where it made it clear that the funny part is the situational irony rather than their (justified) concern.</p>
<p>For anyone who jumped down here to get some spoilers for the mentions of alcohol abuse tag, it's just there because Mikasa and Armin get worried about Eren but there is no actual alcohol abuse in the fic.</p>
<p>I hope you all are doing okay during these times and looking after yourselves!</p>
<p>Thank you for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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